miles



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1L M. T. MILES.

COUPLING. No. 565,770. Patented Aug. 11, 1896.

ZWIT/VESKSES:

Arm/Mfrs.

t e e h S v S t e e h 8 2 S M I M P mLW 0 (No Model.)

Patentd Aug. 11, 1896.

INVENTOI? ATTORNEYS.

. WITNESSES:

a Is PETERS no we any/summon n c UNITED STATES PATENT FFl-GE.

MELVIN T. MILES, OF CHEROKEE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF TVVO-THIRDS TO EDWVARD O. LEWIS AND FRED S. JAMES, OF SAME PLACE.

COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,770, dated August 11, 1896.

Application filed Qctober 26, 1895. Serial No. 566,965. (No model.)

,To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELVIN T. MILES, of Cherokee, in the county of Cherokee and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to devices for conducting air, steam, and other fluid from one railway-car to another, and its object is to provide a new and improved automatic coupling which is simple and durable in construction, very effective in operation, arranged to insure a positive connection without dangerof leakage, and adapted to set the brakes in case the train breaks in two.

The invention consists principally of a spring-pressed valve having a hollow body provided with a head and a stem having alongitudinal groove adapted to extend through the valve-seat when a coupling is made.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a reduced front end elevation of the improvement. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the valve-head with the valve in an open position. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same with the valve in a closed position. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the valve, and Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the same on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

The improved coupling is provided with a head or casing A, secured to the forward end of a pipe B held in hangers G and D, secured to the under side of the car E, as indicated in Figs. 1 and S. The rear end of the pipe 13 is provided with an. elbow B, connected by a piece of hose B with a T of the train-pipe F, extending under the car. A spring B is coiled on the rear end of the pipe B and rests with one end on the hanger D and with its other end presses on a collar 13 secured on the pipe B. The spring B yields sufliciently when the cars are coupled and also compensates for any slack when the cars are going around curves. The hanger D is rigid on the car E, while the hanger O is provided on its upper end with a grooved pulley C, mounted to travel on a segment C secured to the under side of the car, so that the pipe 13, with the head A, can swing to the right or to the left when the cars "are going around curves, and the hanger O can be swung to one side when it is not desired to couple the two trainpipes of the adjacent car.

The head A is provided with two bores A and A separated one from the other by a valve-seat A the bore A opening into the pipe B. In the otherbore A is fitted to slide a hollow valve G, passing through a stuffingbox H held 011 the front end of the head A, and on the outer end of said valve Gis formed a curved gprojection G, carrying a rubber gasket G adapted to be engaged by a like gasket on a slide-valve G held in the head A on. the car to be coupled.

On the inner end of the valve G is formed a stem G fitted to slide in the valve-seat A and provided with one or more longitudinallyextending grooves G so that when the valve G is pressedinward into the position shown in Fig. 4, then the groove G connects the bore A with the bore A, so as to allow the air, steam, or other fluid from the train-pipe F, and passing through the pipe B, to pass into the bore A and through the hollow valve G to the corresponding valve in the head on the adjacent car to conduct the fluid from one car to the other.

On the valve-stem G is coiled a spring I, resting with one end on the valve-seat A and with its other end on the shoulder formed at the junction of the stem G with the valve G. This spring I normally holds the valve G in an outermost position, as shown in Fig. 5, so that a valve-disk G is seated on the seat A to normally close the said valve A The disk G is held in place by a washer G and a nut G screwing on a reduced end G of the valve-stem G. Now, when two cars come together, the valves G are pressed inward against the tension of the spring I, so that the valve-disks G are unseated and communication is established between the bores A and IOC A by the grooves G in the valve-stems, as previously explained to permit the fluid to pass from one car to the other. The projection G is formed with an angular groove G adapted to be engaged by a hook J, fulcrum ed at J on the head A. The hook J is used to engage the groove G when it is desired to hold the valve G open so that the air within the train-pipe B may be exhausted to permit the brakes to set when two cars become acci dentally disconnected. IVhen it is desired that the valve G be closed, the hook J should be disengaged from the groove G", thereby permitting the valve to retain the proper pressure Within the train-pipe.

In order to insure a perfect coupling I provide each head A on one side with a fixed plate K and with a spring-plate L, having an offset L, adapted to engage a recess A in the side of the head A on the adjacent car, it being understood that the said recess A is on the side opposite to where the plates K and L are fastened. (See Fig. 2.) Thus when two cars come together the offsets L of the springplates snap into the recess A so as to hold the two heads in a coupled position and at the same time make connection between the two valves G, so as to establish communication between the train-pipes of the adjacent cars. Now it will be seen that in case a train breaks in two the heads A readily uncouple by the projections A disengaging the recess A It will further be seen that when two cars are uncoupled the spring I forces the valves G outward to seat the valve-disks G on the seats A thus disconnecting the bores A and A of the coupled heads A.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a hose coupling, the combination with a head having two longitudinal bores divided by an inwardly-extended valve-seat, a valve longitudinally movable in the bores, the valve having a hollow portion and having recesses formed in one end, a plate held adjacent to said recessed end and capable of bearing against the valve-seat, a springengaging the valve and tending to move said plate on the valve-seat, and a spring-plate carried by the head and capable of engagement with a companion head, substantially as described.

2. In a hose-coupling the combination of a head having a longitudinal bore provided with a valve-seat, a valve longitudinally movable in the bore, the valve having a reduced and partially-recessed stem sliding through the valve-seat and having an enlarged hollow portion outward from the stem, said enlarged hollow porton having a groove, a plate carried by the stem and adapted to engage the valve-seat, a spring embracing the stem and contained within the bore, said spring tending to move the valve so that the plate will be pressed against the valve-seat, a hook pivotally mounted on the head and adapted to engage the groove on the enlarged hollow portion of the valve, and a spring-plate carried by the head, substantially as described.

MELVIN T. MILES.

Witnesses GEO. A. JOHNSON, GEO. H. PULL. 

